Page 4375 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991

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Public Place Names Act -

Determinations -

No. 98 of 1991 (S124, dated 1 November 1991)

No. 99 of 1991 (S130, dated 13 November 1991)

Stock Diseases Act - Stock Diseases Regulations (Amendment) - No. 26 of 1991 (S121, dated 30 October 1991)

Trade Measurement Act -

Trade Measurement (Measuring Instruments) Regulations - No. 27 of 1991 (S125, dated 1 November 1991)

Trade Measurement (Miscellaneous) Regulations - No. 28 of 1991 (S125, dated 1 November 1991)

Trade Measurement (Pre-Packed Articles) Regulations - No. 29 of 1991 (S125, dated 1 November 1991)

Trade Measurement (Weighbridges) Regulations - No. 30 of 1991 (S125, dated 1 November 1991).

DEFAMATION LAW REFORM
Ministerial Statement and Paper

MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (3.09), by leave: I take this opportunity to advise members of a significant recent development in moving towards a national Australian defamation law and to table for the information of members a draft uniform Defamation Bill prepared by the eastern States. I have previously advised members that, at the June 1990 Alice Springs meeting of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, State and Territory Ministers agreed that the question of uniform defamation laws should be reopened. Regrettably, the former Alliance Government did not take advantage of this opportunity and join the eastern States. Consequently, the uniform process was coordinated directly by the Attorneys-General of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland alone.

At meetings of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and at various other times the eastern States have reported publicly on their progress and have issued several joint discussion papers on the reform of defamation law. On 14 August this year this Government announced its intention to join the eastern States' scheme. Since that time, we have given every support to the eastern States to achieve the goal of uniform legislation.

I am pleased to announce that a draft uniform Bill has now been prepared. On 14 November 1991 the governments of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria tabled the Bill in their respective parliaments. I am pleased to table the same draft legislation today for the information of members of the Legislative Assembly. It is the ACT Labor


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